Study: One in three women have suffered from harassment at work
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According to a Statistics Finland study regarding working conditions in Finland in 2003, 22 percent of working Finns have suffered from bullying, harassment, or psychological violence at their places of work. In 1997, the figure was 16 percent.
One in three working women have experienced harassment, and only 13 percent of men. Four thousand employed Finns from various professions were interviewed for the study.
After the introduction of new legislation regarding safety at work at the beginning of 2003, the Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorates have been contacted more and more frequently regarding workplace bullying and harassment.
The reports of misconduct to the Uusimaa Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate increased fivefold in 2003 to 500, and this year there have already been notifications of 850 incidents.
The definition of harassment covers, among others, isolation from colleagues, threats, sexual harassment, and improper treatment.
The Statistics Finland study reveals that harassment is most prevalent in the social affairs, health care, and service sectors, as well as in church parishes. The most common perpetrators are superiors or colleagues.
Anna-Maija Lehto, the head of the research unit at Statistics Finland, explains that increased pressure at many workplaces has added to harassment. Also, the growing fear of losing one's job makes some employees try to retain their jobs at any cost.
Olavi Parvikko from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health suspects that harassment has not necessarily increased, but more and more employees have recognised that they are being mistreated after the new workplace safety legislation came into effect.
Helsingin Sanomat
